Box topiary plants (Buxus sempervirens) care tips & plant information

Care tips

• Position: Sun, partial shade or shade. In full sun do not let soil dry out. Dry soil and full sun can cause leaf scorching.
• Watering: Water regularly during growing season. Do not allow soil to dry out completely. Do not overwater. Water less during winter, only make sure the root ball does not dry out.
• Hardiness: Fully hardy.
• Pruning: Prune into shape in late spring/summer. Well suited to be clipped into topiary shapes such as Buxus balls. Make sure all garden shears are clean to avoid the fungal disease Box blight (Cylindrocladium buxicola). Clean the shears in a bucket of diluted bleach and dip them again before moving on to the next plant. Remove flowers to encourage healthy and strong foliage.
• Soil: Well-drained. Fertile. Repot every two to three years.
• Fertilisers: Feed regularly during growing season with fertiliser. There is no need for fertiliser during the winter period.

More about Box plants

• Also called: Common box, European box, Abassian boxwood
• Foliage: Slow growing evergreen shrub. Small smooth leaves.
• Flowers: Small pale yellow in spring.
• Box is considered to have medicinal properties. Very hard wood that is excellent for turnery and wood engraving.
• Award of Garden Merit (AGM): This award indicates that the plant is recommended by The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).